


Hunting Wabbits

by hhertzof



Category: Doctor Who, Press Gang
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-15
Updated: 2010-02-15
Packaged: 2017-10-07 07:13:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hhertzof/pseuds/hhertzof
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sarah investigates mysterious happenings in Norbridge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hunting Wabbits

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by rewatching _Press Gang_ and a prompt from [](http://thebigshow.livejournal.com/profile)[**thebigshow**](http://thebigshow.livejournal.com/) "Your character is confronted by a six foot tall white rabbit, in the workplace.". The story occurs the day after _A Night In_, and probably after _Downtime_ in Sarah's timeline. Late 1980s.

The bunny hadn't been white, but pink. Sarah Jane had established that much from her interview with the people who had been at the funeral where the first sighting was reported. She'd also learnt that it had shouted, "Hi, Warner, I'm a bunny-gram," which didn't sound like something an alien would say, but you never knew....

Studying police reports, she discovered that it had attempted to break into a house and nearly caused a traffic disaster on the Sherrington Road. Also that it was probably shorter than six feet. A few more interviews led her to the Junior Gazette.

She had heard of the Junior Gazette, of course. It had been the talk of the journalism community when maverick editor Matt Kerr had started the junior paper. Sarah Jane had written freelance articles for the Gazette, but the last had been over a year ago, and the junior paper had only been in operation a few months.

Sarah Jane paused at the door to the building; she hadn't had much to do with teenagers lately except for Brendan (who was hardly a teenager any more) and she was feeling surprisingly shy. Deciding that was silly, she entered the building, wishing that there had been something like this when she was at school, but she had been stuck at a boarding school in Switzerland, while her aunt did research on TB and all she had was the school mag. Even becoming editor in the sixth form hadn't made up for it not being a proper paper.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice a girl coming out of the toilet until she spoke, "Can I help you?"

"Sarah Jane Smith," Sarah Jane replied with a grin. "I don't suppose you've had reports of a large pink rabbit wandering around Norbridge?" She'd gone freelance so she wouldn't have to play turf wars. If the Junior Gazette was already working on the story, she wouldn't stand in their way.

"You're never? I love your work. I'm Sarah Jackson." The girl held out her hand.

Sarah Jane shook it. "Pleased to meet you. Do you work on the paper?"

"I'm one of the reporters. Not up to your standard yet, but I'm working at it." she suddenly turned to catch another girl as she was leaving, "Julie, didn't you say something about seeing a large pink rabbit last night?"

Julie looked a little embarrassed. "It was dark. The shadows were playing tricks on me."

"But you said...."

"Never mind what I said. I'm nearly late for a date. I swear Lynda comes up with some of these changes just because she's jealous of my popularity." Julie walked out the door without waiting for a response.

Sarah Jane had run into _that_ attitude before. The discomfort that came from having seen something that couldn't possibly be real and people who chose to deny things rather than be thought crazy.

Turning to Sarah she said, "I found an eyewitness who said it entered this building at approximately 5.40pm, Saturday night? Would any of the staff have been here then? Or did anyone notice anything out of the ordinary the next time your staff came in?"

"Saturday night. Lynda gave out yellow slips...I passed mine on to Tiddler." Sarah paused, then went on to explain, "Yellows are assignments to work late one night a month. I think Spike got one, and Kenny and Lynda would have been there too. 5.30 to 10pm." She glanced around the room before adding quietly, "And Lynda's a bit of a slave driver, so everyone except maybe Spike would have been there by then. Spike delights in riling Lynda up."

"Are any of them here now? Perhaps I could talk to one of them."

"Come on in. I'm sure Lynda's around." Sarah grinned at the woman, wondering what she would make of the paper's editor. "And I'm very curious about that rabbit. Julie _did_ see it and it addressed her by name."

Sarah Jane paused in the doorway, savouring the familiar click-clack of typewriters, before entering. She took a quick glance around the room. These kids might be young, but they seemed to be getting it right. She felt very much at home here.

It took her only a moment to pick out a girl who must be Lynda, barking orders at various members of the staff. Sarah Jane had had editors like that once or twice. High strung and determined to control everything.

Sarah led Sarah Jane to a desk where a boy was sprawled, feet on the desk, asleep or pretending to be. "Spike, have you seen a large pink rabbit recently?"

"Have I seen a pink rabbit? Have _I_ seen a pink rabbit?" He abruptly stood with a surprising amount of grace considering his original position. "Have we seen a pink rabbit, boss?"

"No, we have not seen a pink rabbit or any other colour rabbit. Not that it's anyone's business if we had. And who might you be?" She added abruptly, suddenly noticing Sarah Jane standing there.

"Now is that any way to speak to a guest, boss? And such a pretty guest. What are you doing Friday night?" Spike asked with a flirtatious smile.

Sarah Jane grinned. "You're not related to a chap named Jack Harkness are you?" Same American accent, tempered by years of living in England and the same charm. She'd ended up slapping Jack the last time she'd had to deal with the Cardiff branch of Torchwood, but she hoped it would be easier to put off Spike.

"Jack Daniels, Jack McMillan, Jackie Tyler. No, never heard of him." His tone was still flirtatious. "He's not the imaginary pink rabbit is he?"

"Spike, stop scaring away our guests." Lynda shook Sarah Jane's hand. "I'm Lynda Day, and _he's_ Spike Thompson. And who did you say you were?"

Sarah answered before Sarah Jane could, "This is Sarah Jane Smith. She's a reporter for...what paper are you with right now?"

"I'm freelancing. And back to this rabbit thing. It may be nothing, but there were reports that it showed up at Warner Edison's funeral and I thought there might be a story there. I found an eyewitness who said she saw a large pink rabbit going in and out of the building several times last night."

"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken. No pink rabbits here. Now, if that's all, we're very busy here, I'm sure you'll understand, Ms. Smith." Sarah Jane was now certain Lynda was covering something up, but she didn't say a word. Years of experience had taught her to work the easier targets first. "Sarah, can you show Ms. Smith out?"

"I'll do it." Spike bowed with a flourish and offered her his arm.

"Pursuing women old enough to be your mother, Spike? You can't be that desperate."

"She's a woman of taste and style, unlike you, Lynda."

Sarah Jane started to say something, but looked at Lynda and burst out laughing instead. They were wearing almost the exact same outfit. "Flattery will get you nowhere, I'm afraid."

Thankfully, Lynda seemed equally amused by Spike's comment, and the two women shared a grin, before Lynda recovered herself, turned it into a glare, and turned away to work on something else. A clear dismissal.

"I won't be young forever, just you wait and see. Before you know it, I'll be just as old as you are." Continuing on in the same nonsensical tone, he led her to the door and out of the news room, Sarah following after.

Once the door to the news room slammed shut, Sarah glared at Spike. "Give. What do you know about this? Did you play some sort of elaborate prank on Lynda last night?"

"Who, me? Sarah, I'm hurt." He gathered them both in conspiratorially. "So, can I trust you? Lynda's just a bit worried that this might impact the paper."

Sarah Jane nodded. "At this point, I'm just curious. No need for it to see print." From what she had seen, she was starting to think there was a perfectly logical explanation that didn't involve any aliens whatsoever.

"It was Colin, okay." He turned to Sarah Jane. "The guy who controls our finances. He got caught in the rabbit suit after his mum made him wear it for his little sister's birthday. It wasn't pretty."

"I can imagine. That does explain a lot, though." Sarah grinned at Spike. "And he had that meeting with Warner Edison last night."

"Yeah. But the zip got stuck and he couldn't get out of the suit, so we, um, _encouraged_ him to go over as is, and brazen his way out of it. I really think he could have done it. If the meeting had gone ahead as planned. The guy died shortly after arranging it, if you can believe that." Spike grinned, while managing to look slightly embarrassed for Colin at the same time, which endeared him to Sarah Jane.

"Got it. No article. I promise. And I'll be keeping an eye on your paper now. If either of you needs a job after you leave school, let me know. I've got plenty of connections." By now Sarah Jane had resolved to keep an eye on the _Junior Gazette_. She had a hunch she'd be seeing some interesting things from these kids.


End file.
